Render me Scytheless
by Phoenix of Starlight
Summary: This is a story about three young souls - Rowan, Alicia, and Irwin - and their careers as death reapers. In which they are faced with uncertainty, humor, and some very unique seniors. GrellxOC YAOI, Slight RonaldnxOC, Onesided WillxOC yaoi.
1. The Final Exam Part 1

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 1: The Final Exam - Part 1.**

* * *

"A human is scheduled to die in two weeks. You two are going to use that time to observe said human and determine whether if he deserves the death that he's sleighted for. You may present your conclusion before the end of the two weeks, as well. If this human does indeed deserve death, it's up to you two to collect his soul."

"Understood," said Rowan, taking the file with the information about the target's death. "Well then, Alicia? Let's head to the mortal world."

"Mm hm~," she agreed. The two made portals just as they'd been taught, and soon arrived in the world of mankind. "Ahaha~ It's so pretty here!" Alicia chirped, giving a little, excited bounce. It was daytime in the humans' world, and Rowan and Alicia had been transported to a forest.

Rowan Redbridge was a young male with pale skin and light, green hair that stuck up in a few random places. He had a tendency to leave his coat open, not bothering with the buttons. His left index finger bore a plain, black ring, and he wore a chain around his neck. He was trying his very best to be professional, which was why he didn't express distaste in the selection of his partner.

Alicia Silvercave, a woman about Rowan's age, had straight, dark brown hair that came down to her shoulders, and a smile that never died. She was fair-skinned and thin, and she was a bit of a tomboy. She wore a suit like all the other reapers, and didn't add to her appearance with much anything. Rowan didn't mind their arrangement until he discovered her voice.

"Yay~ In the mortals' world!" Alicia laughed annoyingly. "Fun, fun, fun!"

"Come on, Alicia...," Rowan sighed, starting to head towards a nearby town. "We need to-"

"Wait up!" she called. The male heard the rustling of bushes, and his left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He turned around, then sighed as Alicia came back and placed a rose in his white shirt pocket. "Heehee, now we match!" she said. The green-haired reaper bit his lip, and turned around again, before starting to walk once more towards the town.

_'She's sweet and all...,'_ he thought, _'but I really want to make a good first impression on the higher-ups, and if she gets in the way of that...'_ Rowan glanced down at the rookie scythe attached to his belt._ 'No, I won't go there,' _he determined._ 'Not until she-'_

"Why so fast, girlfriend?"

Rowan turned on his heel, hissing when Alicia ran into him. "Don't call me that," he snarled. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm Rowan Redbridge! I'm a _man!_ And if you call me that one more time, I swear I'll hit you with this death scythe so hard that you'll wish you'd been eaten by demons!" After he had calmed himself, the rookie sighed, hoping that his grade wouldn't suffer if he'd made the girl cry. But Alicia didn't cry, nor did she talk back. She just stared at Rowan with a somewhat blank face, as if the other reaper had been speaking some foreign language to her.

"Wait, wait, wait," she said, "slow down... you're a_ dude?"_

Rowan groaned, spun back to the direction in which he'd been walking, then grunted as he ran right into something. Feeling warmth, the male knew immediately it was another being, and he leapt back, whipping out his death scythe and holding it at the ready. "Ah, shucks, you new recruits? I was under the impression that I'd crept up on a couple of young ladies to party with. How disappointing. Are you two out screening for your final exam?"

Before Rowan could throw another fit, Alicia stepped forward, and took the other's hand, before shaking heartily. "I'm Alicia Silvercave. Pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Haha~ Nice to meet you, too, Alicia," the older male said, lifting the other's hand to his lips, before planting a soft kiss on it. "My name's Ronald. Ronald Knox. Heh, I'm usually the rookie around, but if you two pass, I guess I'll be your senpai*," he laughed. He turned towards Rowan, and winked. "And your name, fair lady?"

Rowan took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves before speaking, when Alicia burst into hysterical laughter.

"**BWAHAHAHAHA!"** The two males looked at her, suprised, when the laughter suddenly stopped, and the female said, "Rowan's not a girl, y'know?"

"Huh?" Ronald studied the green-haired male for a good few seconds, before nodding in consideration. "Dang. I'm sorry, guy. Talk about awkward. Well, your name's Rowan?"

"That's right," the younger sighed, a little disappointed to have his self-introduction snatched away. "Rowan Redbridge, sir. I wish we could hang around and ask you questions, but we have to get to-"

"Nonsense!" Ronald announced, grinning. "You two ought to come hang with me tonight! I'll give you a bunch of pointers, and you'll be able to judge your target quicker. There's nothing more boring than a bunch of work."

"Uh, sir, I don't think-"

"Calm down, Rowan, it'll be fine! He's a higher-up, isn't he?" Alicia said. The young male sighed, and shrugged.

"Well... higher than _us_... at least," he mumbled. "Will you take responsibility if our grade suffers, Knox-senpai?"

"Responsi-what?" Ronald asked with a momentarily blank expression. "Anyway, just call me Ronald. It's so awkward getting addressed by my last name."

Rowan sighed, and looked to Alicia. "Look, if you want to hang out with Kno- er- _Ronald_-senpai, you go ahead. I'm going to keep a lookout for our target." The female looked from Ronald to Rowan, and grinned widely.

"Sure thing! I'll make sure to ask lots of questions!"

"Awright!" Ronald cheered, grinning. "And we'll see ya later, Rowan."

"Bye," the younger male sighed. He watched as the two headed out, and rolled his eyes. "At least I'll be able to make progress now." He finally continued on into town, picking up the unwanted rose in his pocket as he went, before tossing it behind him. With that out of the way, he took out the picture of his target, and headed into town.

Their target was a rather plain looking man, with curly brown hair and blue-green eyes. His name was John Rocksworth, a shoemaker. Needless to say, Rowan wasn't entirely impressed by what he already knew, and some investigating had to be done. But first, to _find_ this guy... Rowan leapt up on to the roof of an old bar, and picked up the binoculars that had been around his neck. With that, he began searching.

"... Hey! Look, there's some chick on the roof of that bar!"

"Chick? But look at that guy! He's clearly some sort of peeping tom, and girls wouldn't do that!"

"Well, he/she certainly is creeping me out..."

"Hey! You up there!" called someone. Rowan sighed, and looked down at the ground, then gasped to see that they were talking about him. No one told him that humans could see reapers! But then, he noticed something familiar about the man who had spotted him.

_'How embarassing,_' he thought. _'My target found me first.'_ The young reaper immediately ran off, moving across rooftops, before eventually getting down in an alley. "Should I... disguise myself?" he wondered out loud. He then bit his lip, recalling his grades._ 'A C in practical skills, an A in written exams, a B in ethics. That gives me a B average. I'm barely qualified to even take this exam. So, whether I'm good at it or not... I need to do my best to pass. I can't lose this chance.'_

"Oh? Hehe~ How adorable," said a flamboyant and strangely familiar voice. "Rowan Redcliff?"

"Red_bridge_," Rowan corrected, turning around. "Who are you?" The man before him was another reaper, holding a chainsaw. He had long, red hair and red glasses, and it wasn't too hard to identify him... if Rowan had remembered the name of the one who instructed him and Alicia.

"Psh, typical of a child to forget _her_ master. It's Grell Sutcliff, hun," the other said, emphasizing the _'her'_ in order to tease the younger. "Are you screening or collecting right now? Huh, silly question, right? Who's your man - lemme see." The redhead snatched the picture of Rowan's target with ease, and looked at him in consideration. "Hm. How's this one supposed to die?"

"He's going to be shot several times, and eventually bleed to death. He's meant to die at fifteen past seven."

"I _see_~," Grell said. "What an exciting death! When I was taking my final exam - _oh_~ the memories - no one got to do murder files. It was always some sort of silly accident, or a peaceful passing from sickness. I envy you, kid. Ha, not to mention that I'm screening for some old woman who's dying in her sleep tonight! So _dreadfully_ boring!"

"Ah...," was Rowan's only response, as he was still trying to figure out that unique tone in his senpai's voice.

"But, you know? Since I'm so bored, and I have all day more or less free, how about we hang out for a while?" Grell asked, grinning to reveal two rows of shark like teeth.

Rowan couldn't help but consider the offer. As much as he wanted to remain professional and get his work done, it was a fact that he had a lot of trouble with disguising himself, and being alone was a bit intimidating. Maybe he could watch Grell screen and collect first, to better help him judge his own target. "Okay... thanks, Sutcliff-senpai."

"Oh, honey, just call me Grell, mm'kay?" the older sighed. "Anyway, a couple of _women_ such as ourselves shouldn't be out and exposed like this. Follow me." Although a little irked, Rowan followed the older along through the alley, and paid close attention to the paths that Grell took. He almost always moved in alley ways, rarely letting the people of the streets catch a glimpse of him. It was clear that the red-haired male was a professional - that's what granted him the ability to wear official reaper spectacles, right?

It wasn't long before the two came out upon a street that was dead silent - no pun intended. Only a couple of people walked along this street, and Rowan couldn't help but notice that the only people he saw were wearing glasses and suits. Grell moved over to an old building and ushered the younger inside, before following him inside. To Rowan's collective shock and horror, the other people there were all too recognizable.

"Rowan! So you decided to come to Ronald's party after all!" Alicia cried in suprise.

"Oh,_ I_ see," Ronald laughed. "You'd rather hang with Sutcliff-senpai."

"Ronald, dear, how many times have I told you? Call me Grell!" the redhead protested. "Anyway, Rowan, who's this?"

"That's my partner... Alicia Silvercave," the younger sighed. "She wanted to 'party' with Ronald-senpai."

"You know it," Ronald said with a grin. "The other guests will be getting here shortly."

"Tsk, how tasteless," Grell sighed. "I prefer the thrill of collecting a feisty soul, or rather, the excitement of chasing someone you love! Anyway, we're just here to go into disguise for screening. We'll be upstairs." The two reapers headed up at that. "So, Rowan, what do you know about disguising yourself?"

"Well... my grades in practical skills are kind of bad...," he mumbled. "I'm not really good with my hands, you see, so I'm not exactly the best when it comes to disguising myself."

"Oh~ It's good that you have me here, then," Grell said, grinning widely. "I'll help change you into a completely different person!"

Rowan gulped.

And many more suprises lay ahead.

**-End Chapter**

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*senpai: a superior in work or school. Its inverse is 'kouhai.'

Hehe, well, here begins my first full-on Kuroshitsuji fanfiction, as well as the first fanfiction of mine to ever have OC main characters.

Ugh, I've been simply DYING to get this up. Haha, and now, I'm able to. Easy on the hate reviews, now, because I did mention the nature of this story in the summary.

Special thanks to **BlackSun666** for helping me develop the characters and pushing me to get this done. XD You're an author to DIE for, BlackSun-sama!

**Disclaimer - I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of its characters, however, in a sense, I do own Rowan Redbridge, Alicia Silvercave, and Irwin Velvet.**

Please Review!


	2. The Final Exam Part 2

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 2: The Final Exam - Part 2.**

* * *

Rowan headed back down the stairs, Grell following close behind him. The both of them were completely unrecognizable. Grell was wearing a red dress, his hair color temporarily turned into a dusty brown color. He'd curled his hair and weaved it into a braid, saying that it was a familiar look for him. He even went as far to wear heels (Rowan hadn't yet noticed that this aspect was in fact normal). By the time Grell had finished, he looked one-hundred percent female. Rowan had allowed Grell to instruct him into turning his hair brown as well, and he was now wearing the clothes of a normal english boy.

"All right, what do you think?" Grell asked, giving his signature grin. "I'm a beautiful, young maiden, and this is my lovely son."

"Haha, sounds like you're just fulfilling a fantasy," Ronald snickered as Alicia giggled from across the room, "senpai."

"Oh, how cruel of you to say such a thing," Grell protested, before walking out of the building with Rowan. "Well, now that we're disguised, all that's left is to get back into the crowd of normal people. It won't be too much trouble, as long as you stick close to me." Rowan shyly reached up, and took the other's hand, but almost recoiled again when Grell looked down at him. "That'll do just fine, dear," he said with a wink.

The two maneuvered through the streets once more, and eventually arrived back on a populated street. "Um, Grell-senpai?" Rowan began. "What was that street we were just on?"

"You might want to call it a hiccup in the space dimension," Grell chuckled. "It's a little distortion made by us reapers. Humans can't access that place. It's very useful for getting into disguise or resting between screenings. Again, its very useful, remember where it is."

"I will... thanks, senpai," Rowan said, grinning. How exciting it was to know something that other recruits didn't.

"So, then, how long do you have on your target?"

"Two weeks," Rowan answered.

"Hm, not bad," the redhead said with a nod. "Would you rather find your man first, or would you like to see my target and watch me screen and collect?"

"Well... I want to know where he lives so I'll be able to find him easily," the younger answered. Grell smiled, and gave an approving nod.

"That's good. What's his name?"

"John Rocksworth," Rowan answered. "He's a shoemaker." Grell stifled a chuckle, but didn't go unnoticed. "Senpai?"

"Do you suppose he works at Rocksworth's Shoes?" the older reaper laughed, indicating to a building that said the name in big, capitalized letters.

"I... I guess so," Rowan answered. "Why didn't I see that earlier? All right, I'll remember where that is."

"Fufu~ Let's head out then, hun," the redhead said. "The woman I'm screening isn't far from here. Come."

The two headed on their way, and soon came to a tailor's shop. They walked inside, and Grell brought his 'son' over to a shelf, then made gestures like he was intrested in the clothes, while murmuring, "She's at the counter. At three past ten, her heart will stop. I'll show you how to collect a soul from there."

Rowan nodded stiffly, then glanced over his shoulder at the woman. "Is it really okay to get this close to her?" he mumbled.

"It's fine, dear," Grell said. "Back when I was having my final exam, my partner introduced himself to his target, even identifying the both of us as reapers. Thankfully, this guy was a novelist, and he thought we were actors."

"Really? That's lucky...," Rowan sighed. "And you collected his soul?"

"Ha, well, sort of," Grell laughed. "Will is the one who started and finished it, but I did help out, of course."

"Will? Do you mean William T. Spears?" Rowan asked, incredulous. "Is that who you were partners with?"

"Oh, yes, indeed," Grell hummed. "The darling loves to play hard to get, you know? He and I go wayyy~ back."

Grell and Rowan spent the rest of the day observing the elderly woman without being seen, and it wasn't long before night fell to find the two in her bedroom, waiting for 10:03 so that Grell could reap her soul. But when the clock turned to three minutes past, Grell didn't do anything, and Rowan soon saw why. "One, two, three, four five, six, seven...," Grell began to count the seconds, before suddenly revving his chainsaw and slashing it across her body. Blood didn't gush; instead, a bright, bluish glow came from the wound, and Rowan watched in awe as strips of memory flew out of the now dead body. As one flew past him, he was able to watch her as a little girl, playing with friends. "Tch, such a dreadfully boring record," Grell sighed, easily collecting the record with his death scythe. As the last of the memories flowed into his chainsaw, the clock changed to four past ten. "My, I must've miscounted a couple seconds," Grell sighed. "It's an instinctual response with us reapers, how we manage to collect souls perfectly on time. But as I wait, I get antsy, and I make these little mistakes. Doesn't matter much, though..."

"All right," Rowan answered. "I get it. It doesn't look much different from what they showed us in school."

Grell gave a grin and a wink. "While it may seem that way, there's a reason new recruits work in pairs. There are some souls who fight back, trying to resist death. You can't let them do that. Don't give them the chance to attack."

"Thanks, senpai."

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

"Finally!" Alicia laughed. "We get to take his soul!"

"Yeah... just leave the reaping to me; I watched Grell-senpai do it," Rowan said with a trace of irritation. "I can handle this."

"Oh, no, Rowan, I can't let you do that," Alicia protested, glancing back at her partner. "You can't even wear a tie properly."

"Excuse me?" Rowan said, glaring. "I most certainly can."

"So why does Grell-senpai always help you?" the other challenged, giving a teasing grin. Rowan frowned, and immediately wielded his death scythe.

"Are you mocking me?" he snarled.

"I guess," Alicia answered. "But we can't fight now; we only have ten minutes until we reap mister Rocksworth's soul." The green-haired male watched as Alicia ran off towards the shoemaker's shop, and he clenched his fists.

_'Maybe I should just let her try to handle it,' _he wondered_. 'After all, if she gets hurt, it's not my fault.'_

"You know that if she gets injured, your grade will suffer, right?" came Grell's voice from right next to the other's ear.

"Wah- Grell-senpai?" Rowan protested, leaping back away from the red-haired male. "What are you doing here?" He should've gotten used to these frequent and random visits from mister Sutcliff, but every time Grell approached him, the redhead somehow managed to scare the younger.

"I wanted to see how my cute little apprentice handled his first reaping," Grell answered with a wink. "And by the looks of it, said apprentice is slacking off."

"I am not!" Rowan answered, blushing. "We still have ten minutes!" The redhead shook his head with disapproval.

"Come on, now," he sighed, taking the other by the wrist and pulling him over towards the shop.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out, and the two reapers watched as a man ran out of the shop and disappeared from sight. "Hurry, it's going to take several minutes for you to collect his soul - that's fated - but hurry anyway!" Grell urged, and Rowan ran into the shop. Alicia had already started to collect the soul, so Rowan ran over to help. He took out his training scythe and immediately placed it against one of the memory strands, but he fumbled, and the memory moved past the scythe, hitting him directly in the face. His glasses went flying, and he groaned, trying to shield himself from the memories that came flooding into his body. The man's life flashbacks - the Cinematic Record.

**"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"** came Alicia's maniacal laughter. "You look so silly without your glasses."

"Ugh... sh-shut up," Rowan growled, desperately drying to find his spectacles. Grell watched from the door, knowing he ought not to step in unless things became serious. Alicia eventually grabbed her partner's glasses, and placed them back on his face, smiling.

"Didn't Will-senpai tell us to be careful with these?" she chuckled. Rowan watched in suprise as she continued to collect the soul with one hand, not even looking at it. Her hand moved to adjust with each movement the record made, and in that moment, Rowan realized that she was actually a skilled reaper. But shaking off his suprise, the male quickly went back to collecting the soul, and this time, when the memories swooped to attack him, he dodged the record, simultaneously reaching out to stop the string with his scythe. The glowing eventually died down, proving that they had succeeded in their task, just as the town clock's hands rested on eleven fifteen.

"Beautiful work, you two," Grell said, grinning. "I suppose this one was a bit too weak to fight back. I'll meet up with you outside the spectacles department, all right~?"

"Sure, Grell-senpai," Rowan agreed, returning the smile.

* * *

_Later..._

"Congratulations. You are now an official reaper," said Anderson, the spectacles crafter, as he handed a pair of silver-framed glasses to Rowan. The younger happily took them, and slowly put them on. His vision was much sharper through these glasses, and he knew immediately why these were so important to death reapers.

"Aw, look at you, you're expression totally reminds me of Will's when he first put on his glasses!" squealed Grell, crushing the younger in a hug and swinging him around several times. Ignoring the fact that his senpai appeared out of no where again, Rowan sighed, and gently pushed the older back.

"Thanks, Grell-senpai," he murmured.

**"BWAHAHAHAHAAA!"**

Startled, Rowan jumped, unintentionally clinging to Grell in the process. He glared over at Alicia, who was wearing some sort of weird glasses with frames in the shapes of stars. "What was the laughing for?" he growled.

"Laughing? What laughing?" Alicia asked with a blank face, before running off. "Enjoy your boyfriend!"

"What did you just say?!" Rowan roared after her. Grell grinned down at the younger.

"For a kid, you really aren't that bad," he hummed in consideration. Rowan was about to protest, when a man he recognized as William T. Spears walked past the entrance to the room, and Grell made some sort of fangirling noise. "But that doesn't matter if Will's here, so I'll see you later, dearest!" he called, before chasing after the black-haired male. Rowan found himself smiling, and he shook his head, before heading back to get a death scythe.

His career as a reaper was only beginning.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

I'm incredibly happy as of right now~ Y'know why?

Phoenix of Starlight recently got her 100th author alert! *throws confetti and cookies to the reviewers, followers, and favoriters* XD Lol, is favoriters even a word? I don't think so. But I'm so happy, I could just... just...

Attempt a mass upload, perhaps? I'm trying to dedicate today to my fanfictions! Hold your inbox at the ready! Hehe~!

Review if you want this story to have another post today!


	3. Nothing Personal

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 3: Nothing Personal.**

* * *

_Three months later..._

"Rowan, could you take these files over to Sutcliff for me? Don't read them, though - they're extremely personal, and _even a man like_ _him_ needs privacy," William requested. "If I were to go over there, I'd merely be giving him an excuse to stop working."

"Sure, boss," Rowan agreed, grinning. After this little task, he could head back home - something that he'd been anticipating since the day started. But as he made his way over to his friend's desk, something ran into him from behind. He gasped as the papers flew free from his grip and spilled out over the floor, and he groaned, glaring over his back. _"Alicia,"_ he spat.

"Oh, sorry, Rowan!" she answered, smiling. "Here, I'll help."

"No- wait-," Rowan began to protest as she picked up a file.

"Huhh? Report card?" the female read. "Lessee here. 'Grell Sutcliff has no ethics, falling in love with almost every male organism he lays eyes on, and would get horny at the sight of a-'"

"Give me that," Rowan snapped, grabbing the paper from Alicia. "These are Grell-senpai's personal records," he murmured, his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm meant to deliver th-"

**"BWAHAHAHA-"**

"Zip it, Alicia," Rowan hissed. "I'm NOT in the mood." The girl shrugged, and walked off with that. Rowan quickly put the files back together, and headed on towards Grell's desk. It was a bit exciting. It had been three and a half months since he met Grell, but it was just now that he was getting his first look at the redhead's desk. As he came out to Grell's desk, he saw that the red-haired reaper wasn't currently there. He placed the files on his senpai's desk, then took notice of the fact that the walls of Grell's tiny little cubicle were completely covered in photographs. One wall had a bunch of photos of William, another wall showed pictures of Grell with some man with long, silver hair, and another wall, the one with the most pictures, showed a character with raven-black hair and what looked like reddish eyes.

_'Who is that?'_ Rowan wondered, picking up a framed photo of Grell together with the ravenette. _'He's... a very attractive man, so...'_ While Grell was blushing and grinning widely, the other was looking away indifferently._ 'Maybe... Grell-senpai had a lover?'_ The young reaper set the picture back down, and continued to look around at the pictures for a while longer. _'The three people here... Considering senpai has a crush on Will, maybe these are two _other_ love intrests?'_

"Oh, Rowan, dearest, hello," came Grell's flamboyant voice. Although he jumped slightly, Rowan recovered from the suprise soon, and turned to face the red-haired reaper.

"Grell-senpai... hi...," he said with a hint of tension.

"What brings you here?" the older asked, sitting down in his chair and spinning around in it in an immature manner. Just before Rowan could defend himself, Grell picked up the framed picture that the former had just been looking at, and he stopped spinning, an almost sad expression crossing his face. "You must've taken notice of this," he sighed. "My _dear_ Sebas-chan."

"Y-yeah... who?" Rowan questioned.

"Sit down, hun," Grell requested. "It's story time." Rowan awkwardly looked around for a place to sit, when Grell wrapped an arm around the younger's waist and pulled him firmly into his lap. Setting the picture back down on his desk, Grell put his effort into holding Rowan in place as he began to speak. "The man in those photos isn't in fact a human, nor is he a reaper. He's a demon."

"Demon?" Rowan repeated, incredulous.

"That's right. But he's _beautiful_, right?" Grell sighed, resting his head on Rowan's shoulder. "He was very important to me back then. Of course, me crushing on a demon didn't sit well with William. He got _jealous_, you know? Anyway, I had hardly known dear Sebas-chan a year or two when he disappeared. He left me a box on a table with a little something in it... to put things simply, that was his goodbye. I haven't had the slightest glimpse of him in years."

"Who's this other guy, then?" Rowan asked, pointing to the man with long, silver hair.

Grell gave a broad grin. "He is a reaping legend, even by Will's standards. If you want, I could take you to meet him as soon as I'm done with work. Speaking of... what were you here for, again?" Rowan perked up again, and slowly stood up.

"Right, Will-senpai wanted me to bring you these records," he explained. "And... I'm sorry if they got mixed up... I tripped and fell on the way here."

"Oh, that's quite all right, darling," Grell answered, paper clipping the files together. "After all, I rarely read this stuff. Well, if it isn't work, then there's nothing left for me to do. Shall we head out?"

"Sure," Rowan agreed. He allowed Grell to take hold of his hand, and the two started on their way out of the building.

"Huh? Rowan! Long time no see!" came a somewhat nasal and very distinct voice. Rowan froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as a young man with recruit glasses and a baseball cap of some sort came running up to him. "Huh? Who's this?" he asked, looking up at Grell. He blushed lightly. "She's pretty! Rowan, is this your girlfriend?"

Grell looked away, giving a small giggle, and Rowan rolled his eyes. "Do I know you?" he muttered.

"What? Of course; we're best friends, right?" the other said, grinning. He took off the hat for a moment, revealing a mess of black hair, and he gave a small bow. "Irwin Velvet! You should totally remember me from school! Wow, you're already a reaper? Haha... that's Rowan for ya, I guess."

"Ohh~ Rowan, this awkward and nerdy person is your friend, hmm?" Grell hummed, winking at the younger. "Well, mister Velvet, my name is Grell Sutcliff."

"Yeah, and Grell-senpai isn't-," Rowan started, when Grell slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Now, if you'll excuse us," he said, starting to walk away.

"Bye! Good job on the girlfriend, Rowan!" Irwin called after them. The two soon exited the building, and Rowan finally managed to get Grell's hand off of him.

"What the heck, senpai?" he protested.

"Sorry, hun, but it's not every day that I'm mistaken for a woman in my true form, and I'm quite content that it's happened," Grell said, his face happy, but also serious. Rowan sighed, but, fully aware of his senpai's desire to be a woman, he allowed the other to do as he pleased. "Now, what do you say we go and see Undertaker?"

Rowan nodded, and the two headed on into the mortal world. As they walked through the streets, Rowan couldn't help but notice that he and Grell were continuously getting shot dirty looks, and it made him uncomfortable. He gently squeezed Grell's hand as they moved through the crowded paths, lowering his head slightly as he heard distasteful murmurs. People were truly immature.

Eventually, the two came upon a store with a large sign that read, _'Undertaker_.' Grell entered first, and called out, "Undertaker, darling? Are you here?"

Rowan followed Grell in, and stuck close to the older, seeing several unusual knick-knacks on the walls, as well as the plain fact that coffins were everywhere to be found. Suddenly, an eerie laughing rang out. "Eehehehehe, greetings. It's been a while since you last visited me, Grell. Who's with you today? Someone looking for their own, special casket, by chance?"

"Sorry, hun, not today," Grell chuckled. "But wherever could you be?"

"Ehehehehe~ Just try to find me~," came the teasing voice. Grell rolled his eyes, then walked over to a coffin that was leaning up against the wall, and he slowly took the lid off of it, to find Undertaker nestled inside. The silverette giggled manically, before slipping out from the coffin and walking up to Rowan. "What a _fine_ little specimen you are," he chuckled, and Rowan stood awkwardly as the other trailed an overly long, black nail over his forehead, moving the bangs out of his face. "Odd, though. It's rare for Grell to come to me with a guest, let alone a pretty little maiden such as yourself!"

"Maiden? Ugh!" Rowan snarled, shoving the other back. "I don't care if you're Death itself, don't call me that!" he protested. Grell stepped in immediately.

"Sorry, Undertaker dear, Rowan's a _male_, and sadly, _quite_ proud of it," he explained. "He's fairly new to reaperhood, and I wanted him to meet you. Rowan, dear, let me teach you a little something about Undertaker." The redhead pulled Undertaker close by the shoulders, then, making sure that the silverette was facing Rowan, he pushed up the other's bangs. An acidic green gaze collided with Rowan's own, and the younger froze, entranced. "Fufu, _beautiful_, aren't they?" Grell murmured. "This is why I was crushing on Undertaker here for the past four or so years."

Rowan shook his head in embarassment as the silvery bangs fell over the yellowish green eyes once more. "Well... yeah, okay, but all reapers have that eye color." All of a sudden, Undertaker laughed in an obnoxious way that made the green-haired male flinch.

**"BWAHAHAHAHA!"**

Once it had calmed, Rowan huffed and growled, "And he laughs like _Alicia_."

"Oh, never mind the annoying female," Grell sighed, slumping up against Undertaker. "Be glad that you've struck him as something humorous. Even his laugh is adorable~."

"Ehehehe~ You should've become a comedian, not a reaper," Undertaker giggled, waggling a bony, black-nailed finger at the younger. "You're funny."

Rowan gave up on trying to figure out what was so funny about himself, and he walked over to a chair, before sitting down. "All right, well... anything in particular we're trying to accomplish here?"

"Oh, well...," Grell said, before digging around in a breast pocket. "You see, Undertaker, I had a little something for you." He finally pulled out a pink ribbon, and walked up to Undertaker, before tying the ribbon into his hair. "There. How _cute_~." He took out a pocket mirror, and showed the older man the accessory. Undertaker gave a small giggle, and gave Grell a teasing prod on the shoulder.

"Well, it's good that the majority of my guests are dead. That way, they can't ask questions and embarass me," he laughed. "... I love it."

"Good," Grell said, grinning. "Well, that's all I'm here for. We can head back now, Rowan. In fact, would you like to see my place?"

Rowan looked up, suprised. "Pardon?"

"Oh, honey, don't play coy, just say yes," Grell laughed. He walked over and pulled the young reaper back to his feet, then bid Undertaker farewell, before dragging Rowan back into the streets. "Oh, how long has it been since I've had a good man in the house~," the older hummed. Rowan sighed, but allowed Grell to pull him along, until they reached one of those places that only reapers could enter. There were rows on rows of completely average houses, and Rowan knew that his own was somewhere among them. But there was one home that truly stood out. It was painted a bright, solid red, with the word **'DEATH'** painted in darker red paint over the door. It was obviously Grell Sutcliff's home. "How do you like it? I painted it myself," Grell chuckled as he opened the door. As to be expected, the entire house was red. The carpets, the walls, all of the furniture, and vases with red roses were also present.

"Grell-senpai, you really do like the color red," Rowan commented. "I suppose only a fool would be unable to see that."  
Grell smiled at the younger, then gave a small chuckle.

"Hey, dear... would you like me to do your hair for you?"

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Please Review!


	4. Close, TOO Close

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 4: Close - _Too_ Close**

* * *

"Yes, dear, you are simply divine," came Grell's voice. "Just wait a little longer, and you will be beautiful~."

Rowan heaved a sigh. "Senpai, why-"

"Hush, darling, and _listen_ for a sec," said Grell. "I was worried sick when I saw that the red I had tried wasn't coming through. I'd thought that I'd made a perfect _mess_ of your pretty, green hair. But it's come through, all right, in the form of pink highlights."

"Pink?" Rowan protested. "Come _on, _senpai, as if people weren't already mistaking me for a girl left and right."

"Ha, it's all right, dear, you look really cute," Grell said, running a brush through a spot that had already been brushed quite a few times already. "Does your hair always fight this much, though?" the older reaper asked, giving it one more futile attempt. Rowan gave a small snicker.

"That's for sure," he said.

Giving up on straightening the younger's hair, Grell set down the red brush and placed his hands on Rowan's shoulders. "Well, dear?" he asked. Rowan opened his eyes, and let out a breath that he hadn't meant to be holding in. "Pretty, isn't it?" Grell squealed, leaning down so that he could rest his cheek against's the younger's head. "Aren't I a genius? C'mon, hun, tell me how much you _love_ it."

Rowan sighed, reaching up and touching a pink strand of hair. "Well, it's not like I _don't_ like it, or anything," he sighed. "You're pretty good at working with hair, senpai... In fact..." He turned his head, blushing slightly to find himself almost nose-to-nose with the red-haired reaper. "... Thanks, Grell-senpai," he murmured.

The reaper with now bi-colored hair gasped as he was swept into the air and swirled about, before he was landed in a crushing hug. "You're _so_ sweet!" Grell announced. "I'm _so_ glad you like it!" Rowan sighed, resting his head against the other's warm chest. This affection... he was only used to being given it by Grell. He would beat senseless anyone _else_ who treated him so carelessly. But nestled in the redhead's embrace, he felt truly at home. He almost forgot entirely about the chainsaw that rested in his senior's belt, let alone the push dagger on his own. Grell was a pleasant source of heat, unlike any other reapers Rowan knew. William's eyes were like cold icicles, dripping with venom. Ronald's eyes were like lustful little orbs of honey, seeking out warmth in favor of giving it. Undertaker's eyes - pretty as they were - didn't quite share this sort of affection that sparkled in the redhead's eyes. Alicia's eyes glimmered with ignorance and bloodlust... And Irwin's dopey little gaze was out of the question.

_Grell was on a whole new level._

Suddenly, the young reaper felt as though Grell's face was getting closer at a rapid pace, and he watched in shock as his senpai's eyes closed. Startled, he flinched back, and the older's gaze soon reopened, showing a glimmer of something else. Unable to identify the emotion in the redhead's acidic stare, Rowan quietly murmured, "Grell-senpai?"

"Nothing... sorry, hun," Grell sighed, backing off. "You want to stay for dinner?"

Rowan quickly took out a small schedule from his coat pocket, and turned to that day. "Let's see... I have a reaping tomorrow at noon... so I can't stay up too late." Grell had also taken out his schedule.

"Hmm~ I'm off, tomorrow. I was going to spend the day looking for Sebas-chan, but...," he trailed off, looking at Rowan, and he smiled. "Would you mind my company?"

"Huh? Well... all right, sure you can come, senpai," Rowan agreed. "I do admit I still have a little trouble with collecting... and this is a young soul, too." Grell took Rowan's schedule, and read what it said.

"Hmm,_ 'Reap the soul of Wallace Smith at twelve fifteen,'_" he read. "_'He is a young man, aspiring to be a ironsmith, but will be hit in the head with a blunt object and will suffer a fatal concussion.'_ Goodness, these murder files just get more and more gruesome, don't you think?" Rowan gave a small nod, and Grell smiled at him.

"He won't fight too much. When it comes down to a concussion, most humans are too weak to fight back. No worries," he said. "We stopped giving you the fighters a while ago, Rowan, dear."

The young reaper looked away, a little hurt. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how us higher ups designate some tasks to the newer reapers?" Grell said. Rowan nodded. "Well, William and I are in charge of assigning tasks to you, Alicia, and a few other recent recruits," he said. "Since I know you aren't very good at reaping, _I_-" A loud _'slap'_ rang out as Rowan boldly cuffed his senior across the face, and Grell looked back at the younger, astonished. "Rowan! How _dare_ you hit a womans fa-"

"How dare _you _underestimate me!" Rowan protested, his eyes blazing. "I know I'm not as good at reaping as some of the others, but I'm not weak! What I lack in accuracy, I make up with strength and endurance! And wisdom! I've studied all of the completed files that you've passed to me! I've worked harder than anyone else, frequently working overtime to make up for my few failures! And it turns out that _you're_ the one who keeps giving me easy jobs? Am I not worth your time?"

The words had poured out before Rowan even had a chance to think about them. He was so angry about being looked down on that he didn't care who he was speaking to. He would've yelled at William, too, or Ronald, or Alicia - whatever it took to vent his rage. And he knew immediately after he finished that it was wrong, and he looked away, unable to meet Grell's shocked eyes.

"... Rowan...," came the suprised whisper. "I didn't know you felt that way." Rowan was about to try and apologize, but the moment he looked back at Grell, the red-haired male swooped in, his lips touching the younger's cheek for a brief moment. The action was small, but Rowan couldn't help but notice that if he hadn't turned towards Grell in that very instant, he would've found himself kissed on the lips.

"Senpai?" he said, placing his hands against the other's shoulders and gently pushing him back. Grell smiled wider than usual, actually did a little bounce - like a little schoolgirl _bounce _- and walked - no, maybe even _skipped_ away, starting to hum a tune that he would only hum when given a really thrilling and bloody reap to handle.

Needless to say, Rowan was confused beyond belief.

* * *

_Meanwhile_...

"Irwin Velvet," came a deep voice. "This is the eighth time that you've failed the final exam. We really don't have any reason to keep you at this point."

The rookie bowed several times. "I'm so sorry, sir! I swear, my scythe slipped, and before I knew it, the record got me! I don't know anymore... maybe you should give up on me, after a-"

**SLAM.**

Irwin flinched as his instructor slammed his hands down on the desk. "Mister Velvet, I _refuse_ to let you talk like that in my presence," growled William. "I've given you chance after chance, betraying my own policy, because it's so _painfully_ obvious that you know how to reap. ... Take that damn silly hat off, would you?" Irwin blushed, and slowly removed the hat that covered his extremely messy hair. "There, that's better," William sighed. "Now I feel like I'm talking to a reaper and not some _human_. Everyone else in your year has already passed, and the fact that you've been able to keep going regardless of all of these failures is just more proof that you need to work. Listen to orders from above, and execute your duty. Don't ask questions, or make errors. Do you understand?"

Irwin gave a small nod, and William sighed. "Since the higher-ups are intrested in you still," he muttered. "I'll clean up your most recent mess, and I'll find another assignment for you. And, if push comes to shove - although I _pray_ it doesn't happen - I might be able to assist in your final exam, even though it's a rule breaking that might give me a heart attack."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Spears," Irwin said, bowing repeatedly. "I really appreciate it."

"Velvet," started William, reaching out. The new recruit blushed as his senior placed a hand on his head. "You can do it, all right? Stop fussing."

"Y-yessir," Irwin mumbled.

"Dismissed," William said. As Irwin left the room, he could hear his senior complaining about overtime once more, and he smiled.

He truly owed that guy a lot.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

All right, so this fanfiction, if I haven't already mentioned it, will be RowanxGrell, slight and awkward RonaldxAlicia, and onesided IrwinxWilliam.

With hopes that there aren't any problems with this...

Please Review!


	5. Reap in the Afternoon

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 5: Reap in the Noon Time**

* * *

_Morning..._

Rowan slowly sat up, his back a bit sore from spending a night on Grell's couch. The moment he woke up, he could smell tea being made, and he turned towards the kitchen. He folded the red blanket that he'd slept under, and placed it on the arm of the red couch, before heading into the kitchen. He was amazed by all of the red things Grell owned. If he couldn't buy them red, he painted them red, and if it wasn't preferable to paint it red, he would cover it in red cloth. If it shouldn't be painted nor covered in cloth, it was stained in blood.

That was some fierce dedication.

"Morning, hun," Grell said. "Can you identify the smell of this tea?"

"Hah... no... I don't usually drink it," Rowan admitted, sitting down at the table. Grell smiled, taking a red tea cup and setting it down in front of Rowan, before starting to pour the tea into it.

"It's called Earl Grey, I believe," the redhead said. "Sebas-chan taught me how to make tea. I'm not very good at it... but..." Suddenly, Grell fumbled, and he accidentally spilled a bit of the liquid onto Rowan's arm. The younger reaper yelped at the heat, pulling his hand back, and Grell quickly set the pot down, before pulling the younger over to the sink, and running his wrist under cold water. As Rowan calmed down, the older male murmured, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...," Rowan sighed. "It was just a little sting, it'll heal quickly." Grell sighed with relief.

"Sheesh, I'm sorry. I'm a touch clumsy when it comes to things like that..." The redhead turned off the water, and glanced at Rowan's wrist. It was already beginning to heal, to both of their relief. "Well, thank goodness we're not human, right?" Rowan gave a tired nod, and the two returned to the table. Grell took off the table cloth, and went to wash it, while Rowan sat down, and picked up the cup once more. He took a sip of the tea, then paused, before swallowing it with hesitance. In truth, saying Grell_ 'wasn't very good at it'_ was a bit of an understatement. In that moment, Rowan decided that he'd start asking for water. But still... it wasn't _too_ bad. It was nice that the older male had tried to make something for him.

"Well? Is the tea all right?" Grell asked as he slumped down in the other chair. Even though Rowan was a brutally honest person at heart, something about that shark-like smile and the hopeful expression stopped him.

"It's good," he said, shooting a fake smile at his senior. Grell's face lit right up, and his already freakishly large grin became even bigger.

"You really like it?" he murmured. "I'm so glad!" He reached across the table, taking both of Rowan's hands, and looking into his eyes in a way that both intruiged and frightened him. "Rowan, I want you to know that you are the first to be this sweet to me. I really appreciate it. All right?"

"Yeah...," Rowan whispered. Grell stood slightly, and leaned over the table, and Rowan gasped as he felt the soft lips touch his own. The touch was too shocking for him - that unwavering softness that Grell was able to give him was too much to handle. And so, he gave his insinctual response.

_Slap!_

He felt the other back off of him, and once more saw that glimmer of an unknown emotion flicker in his senior's gaze. He felt his face growing hot, and he reached up, placing his wrist in front of his mouth as if putting up a shield. "Senpai...," he breathed.

"... Rowan, dear," Grell murmured.

"I'd say that it's all right, but that's a bit of an overexaggeration," Rowan said honestly. "You've got to stop doing that. The way you just... _kiss_ me so easily... it catches me off guard. I know you're an affectionate guy, senpai. I mean, you hug me on sight, and don't hesitate to show your... attachment to me. And... I accept that, but... this... it's a bit much for me... to be honest..."

"... Do you think I just go around kissing every man I see?" Grell asked, reaching up to touch his numb cheek. "Rowan, my personality aside, there's a fine line between _'attachment_,' and _'attraction_.'"

"Excuse me?" Rowan questioned. Grell took the other's hand, and rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb.

"You're _special_, Rowan," he said. "No matter whether I've tried to kiss others or not, you're the one to have my first real kiss. You know that?" The younger tensed, paralyzed by the gentle tone in Grell's voice. "Rowan, it doesn't matter if there's an age difference between us. It doesn't even matter if you don't feel the same. That's beside the point. The point is... I'm having a growing desire to be with you. Every night... every waking moment... Even William, who used to cloud my every thought, is no longer in my head. It's all you."

Rowan's pulse was rapidly increasing, and it was starting to worry him. How did Grell look at him that way - as if he was staring straight into his heart? It was then that something clicked. Every time Grell looked at another man with those eyes, they would beat him down, and call him repulsive. That had never sat right with Rowan. Didn't Grell deserve more than that? He was a hardworking reaper - he was just a little _different_. And Rowan now saw that he was subconciously trying to turn the red-haired reaper down as well. That look that he'd seen in Grell's eyes those couple of times... it was clearly a sort of sadness. The same sadness that always flashed in his eyes when he was rejected.

Rowan looked away. He was filled with uncertainty, but above all, he wanted to see Grell smile again. He wanted to see that brilliant smile whenever he praised his senpai. That flicker of delight in the yellow-green eyes, and the light blush that painted his pale cheeks. "Grell-senpai...," he murmured. "I like you a lot... but if you want to have a relationship... I... I just need to think about it." The redhead's face almost immediately gave the younger another taste of that beautiful, joyful expression.

"Oh, hun, that's _more_ than enough for me," Grell murmured. He came in, but stopped himself from stealing in on the younger's lips again, and he instead reached up, and gently patted Rowan's head. "It's... haha... _more_ than enough for me."

Rowan gave a smile, and reached up, before stroking a hand through the older reaper's hair. "Okay, Grell-senpai. Thank you."

The two observed each other for a while longer, before eventually realizing that it was time to head out for Rowan's reaping.

And the energy between them was the best it had ever been.

* * *

"So, how long have you had this one?" Grell asked.

"It was passed to me the other day," Rowan sighed. "I think William gave me this one to handle." The redhead nodded, and looked once more at the paper with the target's information.

"Hmm~ You know, I haven't seen you use your _official_ death scythe yet. For some reason, you always manage to evade me," he teased, gently poking Rowan's cheek. "Today's starting to look like one of the best days I've ever had." Rowan jumped slightly at the touch of a hand around his waist, but he calmed when he saw it was Grell. He glanced up at the redhead, took note that those eyes were as soft as ever, and he slowly moved the other's arm out from around his waist, instead taking the older's hand. Grell seemed content with that.

"That should be the shop he apprentices in, right there," the redhead said, pointing to a building not far off. The two made their way over there, and Rowan couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Usually, whenever he moved through town with Grell, he would be getting glares of every sort. But this time, people glanced at the two of them and passed them over. It was odd.

_'I guess I really look like a girl now,'_ he thought, rolling his eyes.

The two of them slipped into the shop, unseen, and hid beneath a table, almost completely eliminating their presence. It was almost twelve o'clock. Only a brief screening was in order, and then, they were going to proceed to take Wallace Smith's soul. Everything was proceeding as planned, when...

"Rowan! What are you doing under the table?" came a somewhat nasal voice. Rowan and Grell both looked over, shocked, to see Irwin Velvet staring at them with curious eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Rowan hissed.

"I have a soul to reap at twelve eighteen," Irwin explained. "Jefferson Smith. Mr. Spears told me that there would be someone else working to reap his brother's soul, so I would be safe if something happened."

"Well, don't stand there and blow our cover, fool," Grell said, reaching up and grabbing the rookie's arm, before yanking him under the table and holding him there squished between himself and Rowan. "Goodness, Rowan, your awkward and nerdy friend here is quite the handful," he mumbled.

"That's an understatement," Rowan muttered, feeling a twinge of irritation to have the space between him and Grell interrupted by Irwin.

Suddenly, someone new came into the shop, and two innocent voices started speaking to a gruffer voice. "Hello, sir, what can we do for you today?"

"Show me where you store the silver and the gold."

"... Pardon? Sir, we don't-"

"No talk. Your boss is on break, right? Then..."

"But we- we don't h-have any-"

**BANG.**

"W-Wallace! You heartless brute!" There was the sound of footsteps, then a scuffle, then another bang.

All went dead silent.

As soon as things had quieted, Irwin ran out from under the table and over to the two bodies. "Eew, gross!" Grell and Rowan heard. The two reapers walked out from under the table, and saw that Irwin was already trying to collect the soul of the younger brother. Rowan walked over to the other body, and equipped his push dagger death scythe, before stabbing it into the other's chest. Grell watched with a trace of admiration as he saw Rowan collect the soul with much more skill than he used to have. But he wasn't the only one watching - Irwin had also taken an intrest in Rowan's work, and he soon found himself being wrapped up by the Cinematic Record of Jefferson Smith. "Oh, man!" he cried. "Not again!" Grell sighed, watching as the amateur struggled to free himself, as if forgetting he could use his death scythe. Grell took his time, wanting the kid to at least make an attempt to save himself, but he soon realized that Irwin had blacked out, and he heaved a dramatic sigh, before revving his chainsaw and taking care of it himself. He glanced back at Rowan, to see that the younger had already finished.

"Well, hun, I officially think that your friend needs another occupation," Grell sighed, picking up the unconcious Irwin Velvet bridal style. Rowan stood as well, and gave the reaper to-be a look of total disgust.

"Why is he still trying?" he muttered. "It's obvious that Irwin's not becoming a reaper any day soon."

"Well, if William's been keeping him for a long time, then there must be some talent in him," Grell muttered. "I must say, I'm a bit jealous. This little kid, getting so much of Will's attention."

The two headed to work simply to drop of Irwin in front of their building, then turned back to head home. "Slow day today," Rowan commented.

"Very slow," Grell agreed. "Where are you heading now, hun?"

"I was going to go home, but...," Rowan said, looking back up at the redhead. "Could you think of other plans?" The redhead gave a small grin.

"Well, there's many things to do in this world," he started, "but I think I'll settle for going home and getting some rest." Rowan flushed Grell's favorite color as the older came in, giving him a peck on the cheek before he left. The green-haired male reached up, and brushed his fingers against his cheek.

_'Senpai... how can you be so warm?'_ he wondered.

"**BWAHAHAHAHAA**!"

Rowan jumped.

It looked as though rest was going to have to wait.

**-End chapter**

* * *

*phew* X3

Please Review!


	6. Jealousy

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Rowan sighed, taking out his death scythe, and he picked the lock to Grell's house, before silently slipping inside. He'd barely managed to evade Alicia after having her follow him around for hours, and since his and Alicia's houses were inconveniently close to each other, he had decided to sneak into his senpai's instead. He locked the door behind him, and walked into the house, taking off his coat and hanging it on a red coat rack.

"Grell-senpai?" he called quietly, as he didn't see the red-haired reaper. He walked over to the single flight of red stairs, and slowly walked up them, wincing at the creak as he stepped down. He came up to a closed, red door, and managed to turn the knob and open the door with hardly any sound. But as he looked at the bed to see Grell fast asleep, he was stunned. He slowly walked over to the bed, and knelt down beside it, observing the older reaper's sleeping face in silent admiration.

Grell's expression was completely relaxed, his lips fixed in a cute sleeping pout, and even though he wasn't wearing the usual mask of makeup, he was still beautiful. His hair was pooled over his shoulders and forehead, accentuating the thin, natural lashes that quivered slightly as the older male dreamt. Suddenly, the male started to shift, and, thinking he'd been caught, Rowan froze like a deer in headlights. Even so, he relaxed again as he saw that Grell was simply turning on to his side. The redhead curled up slightly, his form beneath the red blankets shifting until his knees were almost tucked into his stomach. Rowan observed the other for a few more moments, giving a small smile, before he left the room again.

"Sweet dreams, Grell-senpai," he whispered as he closed the door. Rowan headed back down the stairs, and sat down on the couch, before lying down on it. He got himself comfortable, and soon fell asleep.

_Click... rustle..._

The door to Grell's house opened again, and William T. Spears walked in, snorting as he looked around at the house. "How very typical of him," he sighed, pushing up his glasses. "This place is as extravagant and unnecessary as always." He walked through the living room, not noticing the young reaper who was asleep on the couch. William headed up the stairs, and casually entered Grell's room. "Sutcliff? You here?" he called. Grell came out of the restroom, brushing his hair, and he gave a shark-like grin as he saw William.

"_Hello_, darling~," he said. "I'm just getting fixed up for tonight. Forgive me; I took a nap beforehand because I figured we'd be out for a while."

"Ronald and the others are already on their way to the restaurant," William said, folding his arms. "Unfortunately, they sent me to come and pick you up. We knew you'd be late otherwise."

"Oh, Will darling, I apologize profusely~," Grell answered. "But you see, I was helping out my dear friend Rowan with a reaping earlier - and you must know how long it takes a woman such as myself to get ready." The older reaper sighed, and Grell gave a wide grin. "Oh, take a seat, dear, I won't be too long, now." With that, Grell headed back into the restroom to finish getting ready, and William reluctantly walked over to the bed and sat down on it. "The mass killing is in three days," he spoke up. "Are you still in on joining our group reaping for that?"

"But of _course_, Will, dear!" Grell answered, at last switching off a light and coming out. "I wouldn't miss a group reap for the world! They're so pretty, the Cinematic Records flying about like streams of crystal clear water." He walked over to his closet, and opened it, before taking out a red suit. "You remember this?" he said, showing the outfit to Will. "Hehe~ I bought it back in the mortal world during our final exam. Can you _believe_ it still fits?"

"Actually, I can," William sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Just give me a moment to get changed, now...," Grell said, "I was going to wear something casual, but we are going to a fancy place, after all. Uh, Will dear, turn around for a sec, mm'kay?" The older reaper looked away, closing his eyes, and Grell changed, starting to hum happily. "Three days, huh?" he sighed. "Are we getting the killer this time around, too?"

"Yes," William answered, keeping his eyes closed. "It's as usual. After he's shot a good number of people, he's going to get gunned down by someone else. But since this is a fairly rare event, we're going to have some of the higher ups work with us. Everyone who's scheduled to die has already been screened."

"Oh, I just _love_ it when humans give us these little killing sprees. They're such fun~," Grell said. "You can look now, Will, darling." William turned back to Grell, and stood, before pushing up his glasses.

"All right. We should go now," he said. "You're ready, right?"

"You bet~," Grell said with a wink. The two walked out of the room, and started to make their way down the stairs. As they reached the bottom, Grell reached over, and clung to William's arm. "Oh, tonight will be _divine!_ A romantic, candle-lit dinner in a _gorgeous_ restaurant!" William sighed as the two of them approached the entrance.

"Even I know that tonight will be fun," he said, pausing. He turned towards Grell, and gave an extremely rare and precious smile. "Grell Sutcliff. Considering the circumstances of tonight, I order you to have fun."

"Oh,_ Will darling~!"_ Grell cried, hugging the other tightly. "I'll do _just_ that! Tonight will be_ magical!"_ William sighed, and picked the redhead up in his arms, rolling his eyes as the other gasped dramatically.

"Come on, I don't want to be late after I went through all the hassle of getting reservations," he muttered, kicking the door open. The two left, unaware that another young reaper was on the couch.

And that he had heard and seen just enough to get the wrong idea.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Ronald!" announced the reapers. William took it upon himself to pour everyone a glass of wine, and the clink of glass against glass was profound as they congratulated the young, blond reaper.

"Haha~ Thanks everyone," Ronald said, grinning widely. "But it really sucks that none of the girls could make it. Ha, I'm not complaining, though, this is great. And a big thank you to Will-senpai and Grell-senpai. They're the ones who really made this possible."

A small applause started up, and Grell grinned especially wide, giving a bow. "Oh, Ronald, dear, you're a precious help to us, you know. This was the least we could do. And I must hand it to Will; he was particularly determined to get this going. Weren't you, Will?"

The black-haired reaper awkwardly pushed up his glasses. You all know I hate having any emotion in a job. But I must admit that it's better that we remain familiar with each other. That eliminates unneeded tension in the workplace."

"Spoken like a true _geek_, Will!" Grell cheered, his cheeks growing rosey as he downed a second glass of wine. Those around the table chuckled, and William sighed.

"Now, everyone, don't drink too much," he sighed. "We all have work tomorrow, not to mention the mass killing on Friday."

A murmur of agreement rose up, and soon, the reapers began pleasant conversation with each other.

It was a night to remember.

* * *

Later on, after the festivities had died down, William helped Grell get back home.

"I told you not to drink too much," he growled, letting the redhead lean on him.

"I didn't!" the younger protested. "I'm just tired, dear... that's all..."

The ravenette was the one to unlock the door with the key that he had forced Grell to give him, and after letting the redhead in, William went on his way. Grell tiredly walked into his home, taking off his coat and tossing it carelessly on the couch. He took off his shirt then, and slumped down on the couch, exhausted. "Sheesh, what a night," he sighed. He then took notice of a paper that was on the red-painted table. "Hmm? What's this?" He picked it up, and upon realizing it was a letter addressed to him, he read it.

_'Grell-senpai,_

_'I let myself in earlier because Alicia wouldn't leave me alone._  
_She and Irwin are just all over the fact that I have a date, although they're still in debate over said date's sex.__And frankly, senpai, I was starting to ignore them, because I didn't mind being paired up with you. Well, I mind now. I had fallen asleep on your couch when William let himself in. Funny thing that he has a house key. So you and William came down a while later, and I heard everything. Don't get me wrong - I'm not upset or anything. I just wish I'd slapped you a little harder when I had the chance. I guess I took pity on you, __seeing as you didn't have anyone when you were so desperate for affection. You should've told me. Enjoy William. He's a good guy,_  
_and I don't think it's fair to him that you've been playing around me._

_'Sincerely,_

_'Rowan Redbridge.'_

Grell blinked, confused, but when it all clicked, he smiled. "Not upset?" he murmured. "Oh, Rowan, if you weren't upset, would you have even written this? Poor thing, he's right. I should've told him about Ronald's birthday celebration. Never would've thought that he would come here of his own accord, though."

The redhead heaved a yawn, and put the letter back down, before heading upstairs to go to sleep. He would deal with the confused Rowan Redbridge in the morning.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Ehehe~ Jealous time. XD

Please Review!


	7. Unbearably Warm

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 7: Unbearably Warm**

* * *

Rowan lied in bed the next morning, wide awake. Dark circles had formed under his eyes from barely getting any sleep the previous night. He was haunted by the memories that circled in his head. The sight of Grell being held bridal style in William's arms... The way he spoke with such gentleness and happiness... It was a serious wake-up call.

But then again..._ 'No matter whether I've tried to kiss others or not, you're the one to have my first real kiss. You know that? Rowan, it doesn't matter if there's an age difference between us. It doesn't even matter if you don't feel the same. That's beside the point. The point is... I'm having a growing desire to be with you. Every night... every waking moment... Even William, who used to cloud my every thought, is no longer in my head. It's all you.'_

_'You're_ special, _Rowan.'_

"What the hell was all of that for?" Rowan growled, rolling over and slamming a fist into his pillow. "Damn it all." He then froze, the image of Grell's sleeping face surfacing to his mind. The young reaper bit his lip, knowing that he couldn't deny that he was growing fond of the older male. Why did Grell have to be so sweet?

Suddenly, the ring of his telephone started, and Rowan sighed, reaching over to the night stand and picking it up. "Hello?" he answered.

"Rowan, it's William T. Spears."

"Hi, Will-senpai," Rowan greeted. He couldn't hold the grudge against William; after all, wasn't the older reaper also a victim? "Is there something you need?"

"Just a reason as to why you aren't here. You're over an hour late!"

"Oh... I'm sorry, Will-senpai, I...," Rowan trailed off. "I'm... not feeling well."

There was a sigh on the other end. "Listen, Sutcliff keeps bothering me, asking when you'll be here. Are you telling me that you won't be coming in today?"

"... Senpai... can I ask you a personal question?"

"What the _hell_ for?"

Rowan flinched. "Ah... nevermind," he sighed. "I won't be coming into work, today; I'm sorry."

"Hn. Overtime again today," muttered the older reaper. "Well, then, I'm giving Sutcliff your house number. That guy refuses to work without you here."

"What? _No_, tell him to stay _there_ with _you_," Rowan said, feeling sorry for the ravenette.

"Look, I know he's a lot to handle, but he's even more of a hinderance here at the moment."

With that, William hung up, and Rowan groaned, trying to sit up. Part of him wanted to run next door to Alicia's. Or across the road to Irwin's place. Anywhere but here, where Grell could find him. He didn't want to see the older - no, rather, he didn't want _Grell_ to see how affected _he_ was by finding out that he was being toyed with. He had been trying so hard to be indifferent to their 'relationship,' and to now realize that it was so important to him...

**BANG.**

_'Was that... the front door?'_ Rowan thought, his heart starting to race._ 'Is it him? Is Grell-senpai already here?'_ Rowan hid under the blankets, childishly praying that Grell wouldn't see him. The hope was abandoned when the blankets were torn off of him, and he nervously glanced up, to be faced with someone who was certainly not Grell.

"Hiiiii Rowannnn~!" came the eternally annoying voice of Alicia Silvercave. "The higher-ups say you're sick! So we came to take care of you!"

_"'We?'"_ Rowan repeated, a sense of dread clouding his senses. "Who else?"

"Suprise!" The young reaper jumped as Ronald's face popped up beside him. "Haha! Sorry if I scared ya," the older reaper laughed. "We don't have any reapings until this afternoon, so we decided to stop by and take care of you for a bit." Suddenly, the blond seemed to realize something, and he gave a wide grin. "Why's your hair going pink?"

"Huh? O-oh, Grell-senpai...," the moment he said the name, he felt tears starting to collect in his eyes, and he blinked a few times, trying to rid them. "Get out," he snapped eventually. "I don't need you two here to 'take care' of me." Ronald clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Well that's not very nice," he pouted. "You're the first one to be mean to me on my birthday," he muttered, turning around and folding his arms behind his head. "Pity~."

"Yeah, Rowan~ You're a total jerk!" Alicia announced, throwing a quick and painful jab into the young male's stomach.

"Ugh...!" Rowan groaned. _"Alicia!"_

"Hey, now, don't fight, you two," Ronald laughed, covering his mouth as he tried to hide the fact that he found Rowan's pained expression hilarious. "It's cool."

"Hey, you two! Get out of here!" came a very recognizable voice that made Rowan forget all about the pain in his stomach. "Leave _NOW!"_

The two others left, and Rowan watched, his heart hammering in his chest as he saw the man before him. It was the first time he saw Grell dressed lightly, wearing a short sleeved shirt and pants that ended at his knees. He felt as though it was on purpose - that Grell was trying to tease him by showing off more skin than usual. It was infuriating. Once the front door confirmed that Ronald and Alicia had left, the red-haired male sat down on the bed, and reached over, gently touching Rowan's cheek with red-painted nails.

"You _aren't_ sick, right, hun?" he murmured. "It's about _me_, right? You're trying to avoid me?"

Rowan defiantly looked away. "You lied," he muttered.

"I did _not_ lie," Grell argued, turning the other's head and forcing him to look. "Will invited me out to an extremely early breakfast at eleven fifty last night. Ten minutes into the meal, we were all able to cheer 'Happy Birthday' for Ronald. If anyone else had come to pick me up, well, I probably would have overslept."

"But...," Rowan began, trying to think of something to defend his point. "But he carried you out, and... you were being so close with him. You said that I dominated your every thought."

"And you most certainly do," Grell sighed, wrapping his arms around the younger and hugging him tightly. "You said it yourself - I'm _affectionate_. To be honest, I can't hold myself back at all. I throw out hugs carelessly. But you're the only one I've kissed."

_'The only one.'_

To say it didn't affect him would be a huge lie. Naturally, Rowan was pleased - in fact, he felt rather complimented. Very rarely was he the_ 'only one'_ for anything. He was always _'one of,'_ as in one of the lower class reapers, one of the reapers with a push dagger death scythe, one of the guys with a temper, one of the reapers with a unique hair color, and so on and so forth.

Ronald Knox was the only one with a push mower death scythe, as well as the only one who thought of his glasses as lame, and the only one who had never worked overtime. William was the only one who had never laughed at one of Ronald's jokes, the only one amongst the reapers who had been on a trapeez, and the only one to have a cool-headed discussion with a demon. Alicia was the only female to be an active reaper, and Irwin was the only recruit who had been given a second - and third, and forth, and _so on_ - chance at the final exam.

And Grell just seemed to be the exception to every rule. Above all, he was the _only one_ who could call Rowan a woman and get away with it.

"Grell-senpai... that's...," Rowan began, but he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Grell gave him a gentle expression - that look that Rowan was always thirsting to see.

"Rowan, darling," Grell whispered, leaning in. The younger almost prayed that those lips would land against his own, but as he reopened his eyes to see the other's throat, he felt the press of a soft kiss against his forehead. "Let's go out... on a date."

"... I'm tired," Rowan murmured, turning on his side. "Maybe another time."

The redhead smiled, and lied down on the bed, before pulling the blankets over the both of them. He turned on his side, and cuddled up close to the younger, draping an arm around his body. "Night, Rowan dear," he murmured. Even though he felt uncomfortable as Grell's breath rasped across his neck, he eased into the warmth of the larger body, and he closed his eyes.

_'There you go again, Grell-senpai. You better not be lying to me...'_

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

***achoo!***

William groaned, snatching a tissue from a corner of his desk and rubbing his nose. Here was a reaper who never sneezed, and yet...

_'I blame Sutcliff,'_ the ravenette thought bitterly. Today was simply not his day. The way it began with Grell skipping into his office and pestering him for information regarding Redbridge, then how he lost two reapers in his division and was forced to take their work or pass it to Alicia Silvercave - who was no where to be found - or Ronald Knox - who was _also_ no where to be found. And as the impending work loomed over William's head, Irwin showed up in his office to apologize for yet _another_ failure.

Tossing the tissue into the trash bin beneath his desk, William rubbed his sore forehead, and muttered, "What stopped you _this_ time?"

"I... I got distracted... I'm sorry, sir... so sorry," Irwin apologized, bowing his head in shame. "Will-senpai... can I watch you do it?"

"Excuse me?" William questioned, twitching.

"Can I watch you reap?" Irwin asked, before flinching as the older's golden-green gaze sharpened. "I- I mean, of course, I probably don't deserve it, but... it's been a while since I've seen a full reaping. I want your help, Will-senpai... _please...?"_ The older ravenette considered for a bit, looking at the messy-haired young recruit. Irwin was clearly nervous, his entire body quaking with fear.

"Very well," William sighed, before passing a stack of papers towards the younger. "But first, you're going to help me complete this paperwork." The younger's eyes lit up, and he nodded, giving a quiet, but still enthusiastic _'yes, sir!'_

Later that day, William somehow managed to leave on time.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Lol. William sneezing makes me smile for some reason...

Please Review!


	8. Dreams and Slumber

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 8: Dreams and Slumber**

* * *

_Rowan was running._

_That was all he knew - he was running, to get away. But away from what, he had no idea._

_**'Bwahahahaha!'** Oh yeah... he was running from Alicia. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw a twenty foot tall Alicia Silvercave chasing him. 'How's your boyfriend, Rowan?!' she roared in an obnoxious voice. The young male kept running, before sliding to a stop when he saw a Ronald Knox of the same ridiculous proportions crouched down, observing him with a thoughtful expression._

_'Are you going to say happy birthday to me, or what?' he asked after a while. Rowan blinked, confus__ed, and glanced behind him. Alicia was coming up fast._

_'You have to run, Ronald-senpai!' he called, but the other reaper didn't listen. The female reaper took a dive to catch the green-haired male, however, so Rowan quickly ran around Ronald and continued on, quite perplexed. Rowan dashed along a path that seemed to be created as he moved, and he eventually realized that he was moving on water. He quickly found himself sinking, and he groaned as he found himself pulled down into the water by his ankle._

_Suddenly, he was in some sort of underwater palace, surrounded by... mermen? 'What the hell is this?' he wondered, looking around. 'This just keeps getting weirder...'_

_'Rowan Redbridge,' came a booming voice. Rowan looked up to what seemed to be a throne, and gaped to see some sort of weird, merman William, his death scythe in one hand, a book in another. 'You have been placed under trial for intruding on our territory. You will now be executed.'_

_'What?!' Rowan protested. 'But William, I was just trying to get away from-'_

_'Silence!' William snapped. 'There is only one way you can avoid the execution. Marry my daughter, the princess.'_

_'But Will-senpai, you don't have a daughter!' Rowan cried._

_'Nonsense, I'm right here!' came a somewhat nasal, feminine voice. Rowan turned in horror to see a mermaid-man version of Irwin Velvet, and he started to run - yes, underwater - out of the palace._

_'I've got to get out of here,' he thought. 'I need to find him.'_

_Who do I need to find...?_

_Before he knew it, Rowan was on land again, and, startled at the realization, he tripped - but as he tripped, he sank into the ground. 'Are you looking to form a contract?' asked another formless voice._

_'Contract? What...?'_

_'I will grant you a wish in exchange for your soul. That is the contract.'_

_'Are you a demon...?' Rowan murmured, his fear rising once more._

_'Maybe... and my name is...'_

_'... Sebas-chan...?' the green-haired male asked._

_'Ehehehe... no... I'm... Undertaker!'_

_Rowan watched in confusion as Undertaker materialized before him, before presenting him with a bone-shaped cookie. 'Here,' the silverette said. 'It's good for you.'_

_'Uh... no... thanks...,' the young reaper murmured, before he was taken into another setting. Before him stood Grell with his back to the younger, the red hair flowing beautifully down his back. 'Grell-senpai... finally...,' Rowan sighed, falling to his knees. The red-haired male turned around, and gave Rowan a gentle smile._

_'Rowan, dear... I'm so glad to see you,' he murmured. 'Now I can finally tell you...'_

_'Huh? Tell me what?'_

_Grell reached a hand up, and brushed it over his stomach. 'Rowan, I'm pre-'_

GASP.

Rowan's eyes flew open, and he slowly calmed upon realizing it had been a dream. "Oh, thank the gods," he sighed, curling up slightly. "What a weird dream..."

"Morning, my drowsy sweetheart," came a voice against his ear. Rowan flinched, then looked over his shoulder, blushing when he saw Grell's smug little expression.

"What's the silly face for?" Rowan muttered. Grell smiled, and pressed a kiss into the other's cheek.

"I didn't expect you to murmur my name in your sleep," he sighed. "I'm _very_ pleased." Rowan blushed, and reached up, placing a hand on the other's face. He tiredly moved his hand down Grell's cheek, admiring the soft skin, and he gently traced the other's lips with his thumb.

"Grell-senpai...," he whispered, "thanks for staying here. You're so warm." He grinned as he saw Grell blush, and he wrapped both arms around the older's shoulders, and hugged him tightly. After looking deeply into the redhead's eyes, Rowan began to lean forward, with every intention to capture the other's lips of his own accord, when the door slammed open.

_"Sutcliff!"_

The two looked over at the door, where an infuriated William was standing. Grell flushed crimson, and awkwardly slid off of the bed, to Rowan's frustration. What was Will so mad about, anyway? The ravenette walked over to Grell, and grabbed on to his ear, then began to drag him away. "Come on. I managed to leave on time yesterday night, but I can't pull it off again. You need to come into w-" William cut himself off as he sensed a death scythe flying at him, and he reached up, catching the push dagger between his index and middle fingers. "What was that for, Redbridge?" he asked, glaring over his shoulder.

Rowan wanted to proclaim that Grell belonged to him, that it wasn't fair of Will to try to take the redhead away from him, especially since he now knew that those two weren't together. But the green-haired male was rather proud, and so, he looked away, and muttered, "Just keeping your instincts sharp, Will-senpai."

"... On second thought," William sighed, releasing Grell and placing the push dagger on the bed. As he straightened his tie and fixed his glasses, he muttered, "Sutcliff, rest up today so that you'll be ready for our group reap tomorrow. I'll get Knox and Silvercave to handle today." With that, the ravenette left, and Grell sighed with what seemed to be relief.  
"Wow, Will's never let me _go_ just like that," he commented. "Really - this is a first."

"First, huh...," Rowan sighed, before realizing something. "What's a group reap, senpai?"

"Hm? Oh, you haven't been to one yet, have you?" Grell answered, grinning widely. "It's kind of a party, and a sort of _'coming of rank'_ for young shinigami such as yourself. But only those who have worked for at least a year can join them. They're those rare events when a single human guns down a bunch of others, and then that human himself is shot. It means a load of work for us, and lots of safe practice as we work in groups. But with all that Cinematic Record flying around, they can also be dangerous, _ironically_ enough. Four reapers resigned after the last one!"

Rowan gulped.

"But you know, I'd be honored to take you to a group reap someday," Grell said, smiling widely. "But not the one on Friday."

"... Hey, how long was I asleep?" Rowan asked. Grell gave a small giggle.

"Actually, you were out all day yesterday and last night. You've slept a good twenty four hours, dear Rowan."

"What? Really?" Rowan answered, his expression turning into one of suprise. "And Will is going to let us off today, too?" The redhead chuckled again, and hugged Rowan tightly.

"He knows just how much of a _nuisance_ I can be when I'm not focused on work," he said with a wink. "Anyway, since we're taking it easy today, too, how about that date?" Rowan smiled, and gave a small nod. Grell practically squealed with excitement, leaping to his feet, and he announced, "I'm going to go get ready!" before running out. As the green-haired male slowly got out of bed, he wondered how long it would be until they actually managed to share a good kiss on each other's lips. It had been out of the question just a few days ago, but now that he was so attached to the older male, he found himself starting to look forward to that moment.

_'This is a mistake.'_

The ominous thought made Rowan pause, suprised at himself. Why did he think that? There was nothing wrong with the relationship he was having with Grell. And if going on a date could be dangerous, then may William turn into a merman and laugh for a change.

The younger grinned.

How ridiculous.

It was going to be a fun outing, and that was final.

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Or will it be? Read on to find out~ ;P

Please Review~!


	9. This is a Date?

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 9: This is a Date?**

* * *

"Ugh... damn... I can't..."

"Like this, dear... let me help..."

"Nn... get off... no... _ah_- stop..."

"Stop being so fidgety, that's only making it worse..."

"I CAN TIE IT MYSELF!"

Indeed, Rowan's current situation involved struggling to get a tie on, trying to hide the fact that he didn't know how to tie it. And as he made the futile attempt to hide it, Grell hovered around him, trying to help him get it on. The both of them were completely ready for their date... or they would be if it weren't for that darn tie. Finally, Grell gave in to his more dominant side, and grabbed Rowan firmly by the shoulders, before turning him around and simply taking the tie off. "You look cute dressed casually," he said in a serious voice, twitching as if he simply couldn't stand to wait any longer. Rowan gave a small nod, and reached out, before taking Grell's hand.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to go see a play~!" Grell hummed, winking at the younger. Rowan looked away, huffing slightly, and Grell rolled his eyes. "It'll be fun, I _promise_," he assured. The two headed out, Grell holding the younger reaper close with a death grip on his hand. "Hey, sweetheart," the redhead began as they walked. "You feel safe, right?"

"Where's this coming from?" Rowan couldn't help but ask.

"Well, we're not in disguise, and most of the time, we reapers don't wander around the mortal world in our true forms, you know?" he said. Rowan paused, trying to think of a romantic answer to give the one who he knew would appreciate it.

"... As long as I'm with you," he began, trying not to sound hesitant, "I _know_ it's safe."

"Aww, that's sweet, dearie~," Grell cooed, turning and giving the younger a tight hug. "Thanks."

The two continued into the mortal world, and soon entered a small theater. "This play is called _'Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'_," Grell said, grinning widely. "Now doesn't that sound promising?"

"I guess," Rowan sighed. "But why a barber? Why would a demon become a-"

"I don't think they mean an _actual_ demon, sweetheart," Grell giggled. The two took their seats, and waited just a little longer before the play began.

It opened with the haunting sound of an organ. The sound sent a chill through Rowan, and he glanced at Grell, rolling his eyes when he saw that the redhead was completely entranced.

The play was one that neither reaper would soon forget. It was a musical, but one with the evident theme of horror. The actors were as enthusiastic as Grell might've been, and the fact that the color red was splattered throughout nearly the entire thing probably just excited the older reaper further. Even so, the slitting of throats was always a scary subject to any living being, and it didn't take much before Grell was clinging desperately to Rowan's arm. "Isn't this just the most _beautiful_ thing you've ever seen?" he whispered into Rowan's ear.

"My, my, isn't beautiful a bit much? Ehehe! Well, I _must_ agree." The two reapers quickly turned to look behind them, and they groaned when they saw Undertaker, a huge grin plastered to his face. "Didn't expect to see two _lovely_ ladies like yourself at such a gruesome play," he commented.

Grell placed a hand over Rowan's mouth to keep him from complaining, and he murmured, "We're on a date, Undertaker. This is a wonderful production."

"Hehe, I don't mean to spoil anything, but," Undertaker said, leaning in. "The whole thing's just a dream."

"Yeah, right," Grell giggled. "You silly man, you're causing a disturbance."

"Sorry~," Undertaker laughed, sitting back.

The play continued, and Grell held his place cuddled up close to Rowan's arm. When intermission came, the two reapers excitedly struck up conversation regarding the astonishing performance. With them exchanging words like that, intermission passed rather quickly, and seemed to be only minutes - when it was, in reality, little over an hour - until the suprise ending that suprised Grell so much that he gripped Rowan's shoulder in a painful vice. The younger reaper whimpered in protest, and pried his senpai's hand off of him, their eyes meeting. "Turns out it's a pretty love story, too, in a way," Rowan murmured. Grell nodded, his lips slightly parted in an irresistably inviting manner.

Rowan could feel his heart speeding up just from looking into the other's eyes, and it kind of suprised him. The play was egging him on - there was no denying that. And so, he carefully leaned forward, angling his head, and Grell wrapped his arms around the younger's waist as their lips met. It wasn't anything like what they'd expect to be spawned from the thrill of the play - not too passionate or rough, not even that heated. It was a gentle, slow kiss, their lips melding into it in a rather romantic fashion. When they parted again, they were both breathing a bit heavier, but not panting, and Grell gave the younger a small smile, hugging him close by his waist. "_Best_ first date _ever_," the redhead giggled softly. "Just how I'd like it... blood and a kiss."

"It was better than I'd expected," Rowan murmured as the play officially ended and applause broke out. "I never knew a play - let alone a weird musical like this... would end up being so..." He drifted off, trying to think of a better word, and upon finding none, he finally sighed, "_Romantic_."

Grell rested his head on the younger's, and continued to embrace him, almost wishing he could drift off to sleep and meet with the younger in his dreams.

He was... no... rather, _they_ were so happy.

* * *

"All right, Velvet, stick close to me," William muttered. The two reapers stood on the roof of a building. "I took care of screening this morning. The reap itself is in two minutes." Irwin reached forward, and took William's sleeve, but released it again when the other gave him a cold glare. "Come," the older invited, before leaping into an alley. Irwin stumbled after him, and the two reapers were soon met with the sight of a man who'd been shot. "Bleeding to death," Will scoffed. "_Dreadful_." The ravenette took his pruning hook scythe, and made a clean and precise slash over the dying man's chest, observing the Cinematic Record as it flew past in order to double check and ensure he'd made the right decision.

_'Wow... Will-senpai is so calm...,'_ Irwin thought as he observed. William collected the soul with ease, and the younger apprentice took a couple steps forward, intruiged by the light of the record. But, as expected, he came too close, and found himself hit in the head with part of the record, and he squeaked as his glasses flew off his face.

"Ugh, _Velvet!"_ William groaned. He finished collecting the soul, and looked back at the rookie who searched the ground with his hands, trying to find the spectacles that he'd dropped. "How pathetic," William muttered coldly, finding the pair and sliding them back on to Irwin's face. "Be careful. You're on thin ice already without breaking a pair of recruit glasses," he growled.

"Thank you, William," Irwin murmured, adjusting the glasses slightly as he looked back at his instructor. "Thanks for everything...," he murmured, looking down. "I'm really just getting in the way of your work, aren't I?"

"Your interference is beside the point," Will sighed, starting to walk out of the alley. "The real trouble is that I'm concerned that when you actually _do _reap a soul on your own, it'll be a fluke." Irwin stared after the older, then eventually ran to catch up to him, and he continued to follow, wondering if William ever did feel emotions. Suddenly, the older man stopped, and Irwin accidentally bumped into him. The senior reaper sent a glare at a couple across the street, then began to walk to cross the road, when Irwin saw a wagon coming at a fast pace. Acting on impulse, the young recruit grabbed William's arm just as he was about to run in front of it, and yanked him back. Thrown off balance, both males stumbled back, and Irwin blushed as the older reaper landed on him. William made a sound rather similar to a growl and sent a cold glare at Irwin just as the speeding wagon bustled past them. "What the hell was that about, Velvet?" he snarled. Irwin put up his arms in defense, his already red face darkening further as blood rushed to it.

"I- I'm sorry, Will-senpai!" he cried, looking away. "But that wagon was headed right for you... and... and even though it wouldn't have been fatal... I wouldn't have been able to see you hurt!"

William frowned, seeing as tears welled up in the recruit's eyes. _'Emotion is deadly to reapers,'_ he thought as he saw the quivering mess that Irwin had been reduced to._ 'He needs to be taught that. But...'_ He looked over into the road, and realized that he'd been seriously close to ending up just like the young man in his own final exam. _'That wouldn't have killed me, but I would've been bed-ridden for a good few days,'_ he thought. He glanced back at Irwin, and sighed. _'If this is what the higher-ups are seeing in him, I'm not impressed.'_

"Are you mad... Will-senpai?" the recruit asked, refusing to meet the older's acidic eyes.

"Anger is as pointless as the other emotions," William muttered, fixing his glasses. He stood, and helped - rather, _yanked_ - Irwin to his feet, before crossing the road, the task having become safe. "Sutcliff!" William called after the two he'd been after earlier. The couple paused, and turned, and Grell gave a wide grin.

"Oh, Will, dear, you're _also_ on a date?" he giggled. William came forward and raised his hand to hit the red-haired male, but Rowan immediately stepped in front of the older reaper, a challenging look in his eyes. The ravenette paused, then sighed, taking a single step back.

"Ignoring your repulsive comment, I'm out on a reaping," he explained. "Velvet wanted to go along to see if he'd learn anything. Anyway, what are you two doing in town without a disguise?"

"You're not disguised either, Will-senpai," Rowan pointed out. Everyone noticed the older's eyebrow twitch.

"I look like a fairly average human," he muttered. "You two, on the other hand..." When the older shinigami drifted off, he took notice of something odd. "Redbridge, what's with the bloodstain on your shirt?" he questioned, before rolling his eyes. "No, let me guess. Sutcliff bit you? Or did you go farther than that, even?"

"Ew,_ gross!_ No!" Rowan said, his face flushing. "This is because the suprise ending of the play freaked him out and he broke the skin on my shoulder with his nails!"

"What do you mean, 'gross?'" Grell protested, pouting. Rowan looked back at him.

"I didn't mean it like _that_, senpai," he mumbled. "It's just... the mere thought... when we just started this relationship... you know what I mean..." Grell gave a partially reluctant nod, before giving a mischievous grin.

"Then again~," he teased. "I wasn't ever really the patient type."

"Well, Sutcliff, I hope you're relaxed," Will muttered, starting to walk away. "The group reap is tomorrow."

"I won't miss it!" Grell assured as the ravenette left. "Goodness, that man... no faith. Ready to head home, dear?"

"Actually...," Rowan began, before jumping as-

**"BWAHAHAHAHA!"**

Obnoxious laughter burst out from behind him.

"... Let's go to your place, senpai."

**-End Chapter**

* * *

Fluff chapter is fluffy. ;-; I wonder why. I totally wanted to screw things up again. Bummer.

Please Review!


	10. Entanglements in the Past

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 10: Entanglements in the Past**

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_That night, at the office..._

William muttered a few irritated curses under his breath as he filled out the first paper in a new stack that a higher-up had passed to him. All of the other reapers had already gone home, but William was just so unlucky as to be double-checking that everything was locked up when a fresh stack of work was plopped in front of him.

**KNOCK KNOCK.**

_'Oh, thank the gods, someone's still here,'_ the ravenette thought in relief. "Come in." The door slowly opened, and William's slightly grateful expression snapped back into the usual stoic face the very moment he saw who it was. "What do you want, Velvet?" he growled, turning back to his paperwork.

"W-well, I thought... since I helped you yesterday, I could help you again today?" Irwin asked. "Actually... I was coming by to say good night, but... I don't want to leave you with all this work..."

**SLAM.**

_"Velvet-!"_ William began in a frustrated tone as he stood up to give that kid the most terrifying scolding he could muster, when he stopped. Irwin's shocked, scared expression usually would have made him scoff, but this time, he backed down.

That had been happened a lot lately, that he would catch himself before he lost his temperature and he'd have to calm down. "Fine. Sit down across from me, and I'll give you some work," he sighed. The younger's eyes lit right up.

"Thank you, sir!"

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Two red plates of spaghetti drenched in marinara sauce were placed on a red tablecloth, and Grell took the seat across from his date. "Good day today, right, hun?"

"Yeah," Rowan agreed as he picked up some of the pasta and observed it for a good few minutes before finally trying it. Grell's cooking was suprisingly good.

"Hey, hun?" Grell murmured, playing around with the noodles on his fork. "Forgive me if this is a hard question for you, but... what was your life like?"

"My life?" Rowan repeated after swallowing. "You mean, pre-shinigami?" The redhead nodded, and the younger reaper tried to remember. "Mm... I don't remember too much. It feels like it was eons ago. I was... a painter."

"Painter?"

"Well... I was an _aspiring_ painter," he said. "Like I said, I don't remember much. I used to paint... dark scenes. Things that people didn't like. I was certain that with the intrest in painting lately, and the acceptance of things... that my work would be accepted, too, but it wasn't. No one wanted to buy my art. But I was so focused on it... I refused to stop. I think I... eventually... starved to death."

Grell gave a considering nod. "Well, it's not the easiest way to go, that's for certain," he said, reaching across the table to cover Rowan's hand. "But I understand what it's like to feel unaccepted." Rowan stopped eating, knowing what was to come. Of course, he'd wondered about Grell's past. It wasn't hard to guess what had happened, but Rowan wanted Grell to say it himself; after all, he was also glad that the redhead was already comfortable enough to share this with him. And so, he braced himself. "Well, my memories begin way back in my teen years...," Grell sighed.

"I was always uncomfortable in my own skin," the redhead murmured, folding his arms on the table. "I never liked the clothes my parents put me in - the drab, gray or brown clothing, and my shoes seemed to make me even shorter than I already was. My red hair stood out at school. And the fact that I was attracted to other boys only made things worse. I was an outcast. No one wanted to be seen with me. No one wanted to be my friend." The tears that began to accumulate in the older reaper's eyes almost sent Rowan into a panic. He had no idea how to handle this sort of thing - he'd never comforted someone who was crying. But... somehow... it was okay. He stood, and walked over to the redhead, then began to embrace him, soothingly rubbing his back. "It wasn't uncommon that some of the other boys would come over and beat me down. They'd leave me in a place where people didn't often come by, and the next day, I could hear them bragging about the feat. I never finished school. One day, I came home, and my father was angry. He'd been laid off at work, my mother was in the hospital with some illness... and he came home to find me wearing one of her dresses. I had been frustrated, too, always wearing such drab clothes - and I always thought my mother looked so pretty in her dresses. Well... that day was the first day that he hit me."

"... Who killed you, Grell-senpai?"

"Three months later... my mother died in the hospital, and my father strangled me to death." Rowan picked up a red napkin and carefully dabbed at the other's eyes, knowing that Grell would only get more frustrated if he saw that his makeup was running. "I'm okay, dear...," Grell whispered, "I... I was the one to reap his soul later, after all..." An inhuman smile crept over the redhead's face, and he nodded to himself. "That's right... it doesn't matter anymore. Besides, Rowan... I have _you."_

The younger allowed the kiss that came soon after, and he let the older male pull him up to sit in his lap. Grell was being as gentle as possible, and Rowan could tell that he was doing his best not to be forceful. He sighed into the kiss, draping his arms around the other's shoulders, and when Grell pulled back again, his smile was fast to reclaim possession of his expression. The brightness of his acidic eyes... the allure of his sharp, white teeth... Everything pulled Rowan in. It was _that_ expression - the one that started his relationship with Grell, and the one that ensured its security.

"Rowan, hun...," Grell whispered, his arms laced about the other's waist. "Being unaccepted is part of being a reaper. Will was the awkward little nerd who children would tease, Ronald was the baby-faced young man who was teased for his childish personality. Undertaker, too, wasn't accepted in youth. We reapers are the souls who didn't fit in society. The ones who should've been _saved_ instead of reaped... whose souls were taken too soon. We lost all the years that could have been... and in return, we're granted immortality. It's all part of the job."

"Grell-senpai...," Rowan murmured, before hugging the older reaper tighter to him, "but... there's so _many_ of us..."

"Even the higher-ups still make the mistake of taking souls that should be exempt to the rule. Everyone makes that mistake, because that potential doesn't often shine through. If we had lived, we could have tried to change the world. But you know... people might not have listened to what we have to say._ 'Don't fear rejection, and live a life where emotion can't tamper with the greatness you withhold._' Did you know? William said that to me, years ago."

"Will-senpai did?" Rowan murmured.

"Yes... but I think I understand better than he does," Grell said, grinning wider still. "Don't let negative emotions get to you. Find love, find _happiness_. Don't let anger and sadness ruin what could be."

"Wow, senpai...," Rowan breathed, "I didn't know you were so..." The redhead waited in anticipation as Rowan awkwardly paused. He knew that Grell was just waiting to be praised. "I didn't know you were so experienced. It's amazing that someone so beautiful can also be so wise."

The older reaper was sent into a state of shock, so happy to be complimented. His face slowly turned red, and he looked away for a moment, before hugging the young reaper tighter than ever and burying his head on Rowan's shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered. "That's the first time anyone has... I just really... _thank you."_

"You're welcome, Grell-senpai," whispered Rowan.

"Rowan...," Grell breathed, his voice more gentle than it had ever been. The redhead looked up, and his expression showed just a hint of nervousness. "Rowan, I _love_ you."

The young reaper froze, his breath catching in his throat as the words that meant so much were spoken to him. Had he ever heard that phrase before? Had anyone ever said that they loved him? _Anyone?_

"Grell... I...," he stuttered, but his voice broke on him. He wanted to return the affection, but he wasn't quite sure how. It was as though he'd forgotten how to speak. Was it even possible for a reaper to say those precious words? After all, the older redhead was indeed the exception to nearly every rule. Maybe it was impossible for him... maybe he couldn't... Because Grell had completely stolen his breath away.

_'Don't fear rejection.'_

And as he looked at the older reaper, who continued to watch him, agonized by the time that continued to elapse mercilessly between them._ 'It's okay,' _Rowan wanted to assure._ 'I feel the same way. Don't you remember that you told me that? That you told me you wouldn't fear rejection... and yet look at you now, senpai. You look as if you're going to burst any moment.'_

"... It's okay," Grell said eventually, closing his eyes. "I'm fine, hun." He somehow managed to pick the younger up, and he slowly placed him back down on the ground, before standing up and walking away. "I'll clean up dinner later," he called.

Rowan looked down, ashamed of himself.

_'Redbridge... what have you done?'_

**-End Chapter**

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Please Review!


	11. Intrusions

**Render me Scytheless**

**Chapter 11: Invasions**

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Rowan had been sleeping soundly on the couch, when the click of the door being unlocked sounded and William let himself in, Ronald Knox heading inside behind him. As Will locked the door behind him, Ronald headed inside, looking around with an impressed whistle. "Whew, check this place out. It's perfect for him, eh?"

"Indeed," William mused. "Is this the first time you've seen his house?"

"Sure is," Ronald answered. "Well, of course, I've seen it as I'm walking through the neighborhood. It's kind of obvious who owns the place. But I have to give him credit; he certainly did a great job in customization."

Rowan slowly sat up, tiredly rubbing his eyes, and he looked over at the two older reapers, a touch frustrated. _Why is it that William has such a tendency to waltz in as if he lives here, anyway?_

"Oh, Redbridge, hello," William greeted, walking over to the younger. "Spending the night, again? It better not hinder your abilities."

"As if," Rowan huffed, refusing to meet the other's sharp gaze. "Are you here to wake senpai up for the group reaping?"

"No, no," Ronald cut in, "that's later. William-senpai says he needs to run it by Grell-senpai that I get to join today."

Rowan glanced over at a red clock in the corner of the room. "It's five in the morning," he muttered.

"Sutcliff is an early riser," the ravenette said curtly, before making his way upstairs. Ronald grinned, and plopped down next to the younger reaper.

Rowan sighed.

As if things could get any worse.

* * *

"Sutcliff," William began as he knocked on the door. "I'm coming in." Only when he entered the room did he hear the sound of running water, and he rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him and walking over to the bathroom. He let himself in, and walked over the red shower curtains. He considered giving Grell his privacy for a moment, but then remembered the several times that he'd been enjoying a shower when a certain red reaper paid him a visit. Rolling his eyes, he flung the curtain open, holding back his laugh when Grell screamed in shock.

"Will! You _pervert!"_ he cried as he threw a red bar of soap at the ravenette. "What the _hell?!"_ Grell snatched the curtain and held it over his bare body, before growling, "What is it?"

Stifling his amusement, William answered, "Ronald and I came over. Just thought you should know." The redhead flushed red with humiliation and anger, and he decisively shut the curtains again, before giving his most lady-like response for the situation.

**"GET. OUT."**

William gave a rare, triumphant smirk, before heading out of the room. He headed back downstairs, and moved into the kitchen without saying another word. He got himself a glass of water, before walking back into the living room. "He'll be down shortly. He's showering," said the older reaper. "Meanwhile, Ronald, it's custom to ask, how many reapings have you handled so far?"

The blond groaned, and began to count on his fingers, and Rowan couldn't help but notice the obvious twitch in William's eyebrow. "Uhh... I guess around five hundred?" Ronald answered, uncertain.

"You should keep track of those," William commented. "I've done two thousand and nine reapings."

"And nine?" Ronald repeated. "Why didn't we throw a party for your two thousandth one?"

"It's not a big deal," the ravenette answered. "After all, there are those who have done much, much more."

Rowan looked at the two talking together so casually, and he slid himself off of the couch, before walking upstairs. He knocked on the door to Grell's room, then, upon receiving no answer, he walked in. "Grell?" he called. He walked over to the restroom, and knocked again.

"Damn it, Will, stay out_ there!"_ cried Grell from inside. "Are you really that impatient? Really... to think you would go so far as to taint my purity as a lady... what did I ever see in you?"

"Uh, senpai, it's Rowan," the younger reaper answered, feeling awkward. The door opened a crack, and Rowan took that as permission to walk in. Grell had a red towel wrapped so that it hung loosely around his hips and another around his shoulders. He was combing out his sopping wet hair as Rowan answered, and the young reaper was a little bothered by the expression on the older's face. Why did Grell look so irritated with him...? Although, the thought was forgotten the moment he reminded himself of Grell's current... appearance. He tried to supress his blush at the other's half-naked body, and he tore his eyes away, remembering now how he had failed to return Grell's confession.

"What's up, honey?" Grell asked, sounding exhausted.

"Well... not much, I guess," the younger murmured. "... Will and Ronald-senpai are here."

"I know... Will had the nerve to barge in while I was taking a shower, the brute," the older male huffed, his lips being drawn back in a small snarl to reveal his glinting, white set of fangs.

"Huh," Rowan grunted, considering the notion. He wasn't really upset about it. ... Well... maybe a little. After all, he'd heard that shriek from up the stairs - although he'd initially assumed it to be an _'omigawsh, Will's here!'_ scream than an _'omigawsh, Will just defiled my womanly body like a creep!_' scream.

... As a matter of fact, Rowan was upset. No. One would go as far to say he was furious. As a matter of fact...  
"I'm going to go talk to him," he growled, turning to leave. Suprised, Grell reached forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need for that, hun, I'm okay," he assured. "Flustered, of course, but you don't need to go after him. I mean... I myself have pulled that stunt a couple times. He was probably just trying to get back at me."

Rowan looked back at the redhead, perplexed. "Senpai...," he sighed. "... Stay safe on the group reaping for me."

"Huh? You know, I'm not going to leave you here that quickly," Grell said. "The reaping isn't for a while! I was going to make you breakfast, and we were going to talk together. And, you know, I guess a kiss or two here and there..." The green-haired male sighed, before leaning up, and lacing his fingers into the wet, red locks, before pulling his senpai down by the back of his head. Grell's face was dusted pink as Rowan coaxed him in, and their lips met. It was a tender, warm kiss, filled with affection and forgiveness. The younger reaper held Grell in place firmly, desperate to not let go. He wanted to apologize for last night, and assure that he returned Grell's feelings, that he would always-

_Lick!_

Rowan gasped, backing away, shocked by what had just happened. "Wh... what the hell, senpai?" he asked, whirling around. "Don't just randomly lick people's lips, that's so creepy! What was that for, anyway? Payback for last night, maybe? Ugh! Really... hah... weirdest freaking idea you've ever gotten, I swear." When he looked back, Grell was softly giggling, his eyes gentle.

"Sorry, hun," he said softly. "You don't know that some kisses involve tongue?" Rowan blushed, and folded his arms, looking away.

"Don't do that without warning," he mumbled.

"Okay, then, I'm going to use my tongue when I kiss you again."

"Yeah, see, was that so-"

Grell swept in, and Rowan didn't have time to even think about what was going to happen before Grell crushed their lips together, and he almost immediately found his mouth invaded by none other than his senpai's tongue. He shut his eyes tightly, not sure how to respond to this new contact. It was weird - and he'd never engaged in something like this before, needless to say. The way Grell kissed him so deeply, and so passionately left him at a loss for words, not that he could express them if he wanted to speak. The redhead embraced him, his arms wrapping around his lower back, his mouth still sealing Rowan's to the point where he forgot how to breathe.

Even through his nose.

He slowly opened his eyes, and was met with the older's stunning, golden green gaze, and he weakly tried to hold on to the other male as his knees started to tremble. At last, they parted once more, and Grell's wide grin didn't really serve to help Rowan remember how to inhale. The moment he did, though, he was gasping for breath, leaning against the red-haired male as he did so. The warm, wet flesh that met him, though, simply doubled his embarassment. He backed up, and looked at Grell, still a little stunned, and as he took another step back, he managed to pant out, "Get dressed and dry your hair, would you? Thanks to you, I'm totally drenched!"

Grell gave another soft smile, nodding at the order. "You know, you kissed me first," he teased as he picked up the hairdryer. Rowan's retort was drowned out by the device coming on, and he groaned, at last leaving.

_'Well, I didn't think so much could happen just from saying good morning to him,' _Rowan mused_. 'Some kisses involve tongue. Sure they do... In Grell-senpai's book, maybe.'_

The young, green-haired reaper headed back downstairs, and walked back to the couch, before plopping down beside Ronald. He pulled the red blanket he was now familiar with over his body, and rested a head on a pillow, trying to block out their casual talk.

_'Damn these senpais. Damn the group reaping. Damn the mortals! Why can't I spend a night on Grell's couch without having to deal with William? Seriously...'_

It wasn't too long before Grell came down again, the usual grin plastered to his face. "Rowan, dear, where are you?" he called into the living room. Rowan peeked out from under the blanket, and Grell swept the younger reaper into his arms, before hugging him tightly. "I promise to come home safely today, okay, hun? Just for you~!"

"Yes, because you got maimed the last time," William remarked. Grell sent him a sour look, before looking back at his lover.

"I'll be fine, Rowan, I promise," he whispered, before leaning in. His lips brushing against Rowan's ear, he murmured, "I love you."

Rowan felt the other pulling away as if inferring that the green-haired male wouldn't return the phrase. But, to everyone's suprise, the younger reaper grabbed Grell's wrists, and pulled him close again, before rasping in a shaky voice, "I love you too, Grell-senpai."

Grell backed away again, and his eyes were soft and proud. As he headed for the kitchen, Rowan knew only one truth.

That he had done the right thing.

**-End Chapter**

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Oh my fluff.

XD Sorry for the wait! For SURE, group reaping in the next chapter!

Please Review!


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